Niger ratified the Outer Space Treaty, an international agreement with over 100 signing nations that acts as the foundation for...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Niger ratified the Outer Space Treaty, an international agreement with over 100 signing nations that acts as the foundation for the laws of space, on February 1, 1967. Jordan, ______ has yet to officially ratify the treaty; it only signed it.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
in contrast,
specifically,
for example,
similarly,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Niger ratified the Outer Space Treaty, an international agreement with over 100 signing nations that acts as the foundation for the laws of space, on February 1, 1967.' |
|
| [MISSING TRANSITION] |
|
| 'Jordan, _____ has yet to officially ratify the treaty; it only signed it.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Countries have taken different levels of action regarding the Outer Space Treaty—some have fully ratified it while others have only signed it.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that Niger took complete action by ratifying the space treaty, then shows how Jordan took a different, less complete approach by only signing without ratifying.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at our passage analysis, we see Niger fully ratified the treaty while Jordan has only signed it
- This creates a contrast between complete action versus incomplete action
- The transition word needs to signal this difference
in contrast,
"in contrast,"
✓ Correct
- Signals the exact contrast we identified between Niger's complete ratification and Jordan's incomplete signing
- Creates the logical flow: Niger did X (ratified), but in contrast, Jordan did Y (only signed)
specifically,
"specifically,"
✗ Incorrect
- This would introduce Jordan as a specific example or detail of something mentioned before
- But Jordan isn't a specific instance of ratifying countries—it's actually doing something different
for example,
"for example,"
✗ Incorrect
- Would make Jordan an example of countries that ratified the treaty
- But Jordan didn't ratify—it only signed, which directly contradicts what Niger did
similarly,
"similarly,"
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests Jordan did something similar to Niger's ratification
- But the passage explicitly states Jordan has "yet to officially ratify"—the opposite of what Niger did